+PSALLIOTA = a ring or collar.+
The common mushroom Agaricus campestris belongs to this group. The gills
are rounded behind and free, the stem has a collar. There are many
edible mushrooms in this genus. They grow in pastures, and the larger
ones are called Champignons. In former times when one spoke of eating
mushrooms the species A. campestris, or campester, was always the one
denoted.
+STROPHARIA = a sword belt.+
This genus has a ring. The gills are generally attached to the stem;
some species grow on the ground, and some grow on other fungi. They are
sometimes bell-shaped and then flattened, often with a mound or umbo.
+HYPHOLOMA = web and fringe.+
The veil in this genus is woven in a web which adheres to the margin of
the cap. The cap is more or less fleshy, and the margin at first
incurved. The gills are attached or have a tooth. There is no ring. The
plants grow in tufts on wood, or at the base of trees in the autumn.
+PSILOCYBE = naked and head.+
The cap in this genus is fleshy, smooth, and the margin at first
incurved. Gills turn dusky purple. The stem is cartilaginous, hollow or
stuffed. No veil is visible. They grow on the ground.
+PSATHYRA = friable.+
The cap is conical and soft, the margin at first straight, and then
pressed to the stem. The plants are slender, fragile and moist. Gills
become purple. They grow on the ground, or on trunks of trees.
+COPRINUS = dung.+
In this genus the spores are black. It has two distinctive features:
one, that the gills cohere at first, and are not separated when young;
and the other, that they dissolve into an inky fluid. The gills are also
scissile, that is, they can be split, and are linear and swollen in the
middle. The plants last but a short time. Some are edible.
ORDER 2. POLYPOREI, OR TUBE-BEARING FUNGI.
We now pass to the next order, the Polyporei. We will mention four
genera:
+BOLETUS.+
The name is that of a fungus much prized for its delicacy by the Romans,
and is derived from a Greek word meaning a clod, which denotes the round
figure of the plant.
The Boleti grow on the ground, are fleshy and putrescent with central
stems. The tubes are packed closely together and are easily separated.
+FISTULINA = a pipe.+
In this genus the tubes are free and distinct from one another. They are
somewhat fleshy and grow upon wood.
+POLYPORUS = many pores.+
The pores or tubes in this genus are not separate from one another. They
are persistent fungi, most of them growing upon wood.
+DAEDALEA = curiously wrought.+
The name of this genus is derived from Daedalus, who constructed the
labyrinth at Crete, in which the monster Minotaur was kept. It was one
of the seven wonders of the world.
These fungi grow on wood, and become hard. The pores are firm when fully
grown; they are sinuous and labyrinthine.
ORDER 3. HYDNEI, OR SPINE-BEARING FUNGI.
The name is derived from a word meaning a spine. This order contains
many genera, two of which we will mention, Hydnum and Tremellodon.
+HYDNUM.+
Hydnum is derived from a Greek word, the name of an edible fungus. The
plants in this genus are furnished with spines or teeth, instead of
gills or tubes, and these contain the spores. The species are divided
according to the stem. In some it is central and grows on the ground,
in others it is lateral, and the cap is semicircular (dimidiate), and
others again have no stem. There are some species that have no cap, and
the spines are either straight or oblique. There are a few that are
edible, but generally they have a bitter taste. However, some writers
say that Hydnum repandum, or the spreading Hedgehog, is “delicious.”
This mushroom and the one named “Medusa’s head,” H. caput Medusæ, are
perhaps the most conspicuous of the order. The latter is very large.
Its color is at first white, then becoming ashy gray. The spines on the
upper surface are twisted, while the lower ones are long and straight.
It grows on trunks of trees. In the spreading Hydnum the margin of the
cap is arched and irregular. It grows on the ground.
+TREMELLODON = jelly and a tooth.+
The fungi in this genus are gelatinous. The cap is nearly semicircular
in shape, sometimes fan-shaped and rounded in front. The spines or teeth
are soft, white and delicate. We found one specimen in the month of
September in the mountains of the State of New York.
ORDER 4. THELEPHOREI, OR EVEN SURFACE FUNGI.
In this order the lower surface of the cap is smooth and even, or
slightly wrinkled. It is divided into several genera, only two of which
we will enumerate, Craterellus and Stereum.
+CRATERELLUS = a bowl.+
The species called the “horn of plenty,” Craterellus cornucopioides,
belongs to this genus, and is often found. Stevenson says it is common.
It is trumpet-shaped (tubiform). The cap is of a dingy black color, and
the stem is hollow, smooth, and black. We found quite a small specimen,
the pileus not more than 1½ inch broad, but it may measure 3 inches.
The spore-bearing surface was of an ash color. The margin of the cap was
wavy, and it was hollow right through to the base. It was only 2 inches
high, and there was scarcely any stem.
+STEREUM = hard.+
The genus Stereum is woody and leathery in nature, somewhat zoned, and
looks like some Polyporci. It grows on wood, on stumps, and on dead
wood.
ORDER 5. CLAVARIEI, OR CLUB FUNGI.
This order contains several genera, but one only will be mentioned, that
of Clavaria.
+CLAVARIA = club.+
The common name often given to this genus is “Fairy Clubs.” We have
described several species in our list of fungi, and will only say that
these are fleshy fungi, either simple or branched. The expression
fleshy, so often met with in these pages, is used in speaking of plants
when they are succulent and composed of juicy, cellular tissue. They do
not become leathery. In the genus Clavaria the fungi have no caps, but
they have stems. There are a few edible species. One can scarcely walk
any distance without seeing some species of Clavaria. They are
conspicuous, sometimes attractive looking, and interesting in their
variety.
The genus Cortinarius, one of the order of Agarics, has been already
described, but it contains so many species that it deserves especial
mention.
They are difficult to define. The genus has been subdivided by botanists
into tribes which it may be well to enumerate. We have followed
Stevenson’s arrangement.
He divides Cortinarius into six tribes.
1. Phlegacium = clammy moisture. In this tribe the cap is fleshy and
sticky (viscous), while the stem is firm and dry. In all Cortinarii the
gills become cinnamon-colored. There are many large-sized mushrooms in
this tribe, the cap sometimes measuring 6 inches across.
2. Myxacium = mucous. This tribe has the stem sticky (viscous), and the
universal veil is glutinous. The cap is fleshy but thin. Gills attached
to stem and decurrent.
3. Inoloma = fibre and fringe. It contains distinguished species. The
cap is at first silky, with innate scales or fibrils, is equally fleshy
and dry. The stem is fleshy and rather bulbous.
4. Dermocybe = skin and head. The cap and stem are both thinner in this
tribe than in Inoloma. The pileus becomes thin when old, and is dry, not
moist. It is at first silky. The color of the gills is changeable, which
makes it hard to distinguish the species.
5. Telamonia = lint. Pileus moist; at first smooth or sprinkled with
superficial whitish fibres of the veil. Flesh thin, or becoming so
abruptly at the margin; the veil is somewhat double, which is a
distinguishing characteristic of this tribe.
6. Hygrocybe = moist and head. Cap in this tribe is smooth or only
covered with white superficial fibrils, not gluey, but moist when fresh,
and changing color when dry. Flesh thin.
CLASS I. GASTEROMYCETES, OR STOMACH FUNGI.
The Basidia-bearing fungi, or Basidiomycetes, are divided into three
classes, as has been already stated. The third class, Hymenomycetes, or
Membrane fungi, has been described, but there remain two other groups of
which we will now speak more fully. They may be considered too difficult
for beginners, and we would not venture to enter further into the
subject were it not that some of the most familiar fungi belong to these
classes--such as Puff-balls, Morels, and Helvellas.
The first class, called the Gasteromycetes, or Stomach fungi, matures
its spores on the inside of the plant. The distinction between this
class and that of the Membrane fungi, which ripens its spores on the
outside, may be more readily understood by one familiar with the
structure of the fig, whose flowers are situated on the interior of its
pear-shaped, hollow axis, which is the fruit.
We will divide the Stomach fungi into four orders--1, the thick-skinned
fungi (Sclerodermæ); 2, the Bird’s-nest fungi (Nidulariæ); 3, the
Puff-balls (Lycoperdons); 4, the Stink horns (Phalloidæ.)
ORDER 1. SCLERODERMÆ, THE THICK-SKINNED FUNGI.
Our attention will be confined to only one genus, and, indeed, one
species of this family. We often see in our walks what at a first glance
look like potatoes lying along the road, and the suggestion arises that
some careless boy has been losing potatoes from his basket on his way
home from the country store. We stoop to pick them up, and find them
rooted to the ground and covered with warts and scales. We cut them open
and find them a purplish-black color inside. It is a mass of closely
packed unripe spores. In a few days the upper part of the outside
covering decays, bursts open, and the ripe spores escape. This is called
the common hard-rind fungus, or Scleroderma vulgare.
ORDER 2. NIDULARIÆ, THE BIRD’S-NEST FUNGI.
This is again divided into three genera. The Crucible (crucibulum), the
Cup (Cyathus), the Bird’s-nest proper (Nidularia.)
We often find on a wood-pile or a fallen tree some of the members of the
Bird’s-nest family. It is fascinating to examine them in their various
stages of development. First we see a tiny buff knot, cottony in texture
and closely covered; next, another rather larger, with its upper
covering thrown aside, displaying the tiny eggs, which prompts one to
look around for the miniature mother bird; then we find a nest empty
with the fledglings flown. The characteristic that distinguishes the
Bird’s-nest fungi from others consists in the fact that the spores are
produced in small envelopes that do not split open, and which are
enclosed in a common covering, called the peridium. One species is known
by the fluted inside of the covering, which is quite beautiful. They are
all small and grow in groups.
ORDER 3. LYCOPERDONS, THE PUFF-BALLS.
The Lycoperdons contain several genera, among which we select the
Puff-balls proper and the Earth stars.
What child is there who lives in the country and does not know the
Puff-ball? With what gusto he presses it and watches what he calls the
smoke pouring from the chimney. Indeed, the outpouring of myriads of
spores in its ripe stage does suggest smoke from a chimney. The
puff-ball, when young, is of a firm texture, nearly round, grayish, or
brownish outside, but of a pure white within. There are several genera,
but we have selected two--1, Lycoperdon; and 2, Earth Star, or Geaster.
+LYCOPERDON = the puff-ball.+
The puff-balls vary greatly in size, the smallest measure ½ inch up to
the largest, about 15 inches. Professor Peck describes them thus:
“Specimens of medium size are 8 to 12 inches in diameter. The largest in
the State Museum is about 15 inches in the dry state. When fresh it was
probably 20 inches or more. The color is whitish, afterward yellowish or
brownish. The largest size was called the Giant Puff-ball (Calvatia
bovista).”
+GEASTER = the earth star.+
These vary greatly in size. The small ones grow on pine needles on the
ground or among leaves. Some are mounted on pedicels, some are sessile
or seated directly on the earth, but the family likeness is so
pronounced that even the novice need not be doubtful as to the name of
the fungus when found. There are two species that have slender,
elongated stems. The name is well chosen. In moist weather the points
expand and roll back or lie flat on the earth. Then the round puff-ball
in the centre is plainly seen.
In dry weather the star-like divisions are rigidly turned in and cover
closely the round portion. “When dry it is sometimes rolled about by the
wind; when it is wet by the rain or abundant dew it absorbs the moisture
and spreads itself out, and rests from its journey, again to take up its
endless wandering as sun and rain appear to reduce it once more to a
ball and set it rolling.” (Underwood.)
ORDER 4. PHALLOIDS, THE STINK HORN FUNGI.
We come now to the fourth and last order of the Stomach fungi
(Gasteromycetes) that we shall mention. In spite of their appellation
these fungi are strikingly beautiful, but their odor is most offensive.
They grow in woods, and are also found in cellars. Their history has
been carefully investigated by mycologists, and the novice will find
many beautiful illustrations in various works. In their early stage they
are enclosed in an egg-shaped veil (volva), having a gelatinous inner
layer. Some are bright-colored, others are pure white, and the stems of
one species look as if covered with lace work. The most familiar one,
Phallus impudicus, “the fetid wood witch,” we have placed in the list of
fungi at the end of this book, with its description.
CLASS II. ASCOMYCETES, OR SPORE SAC FUNGI.
This is the second division of the Basidia-bearing fungi. It includes
all the fungi that have the spores enveloped in delicate sacs called
asci. It is divided into several orders, but we will only mention the
one which contains the most familiar plants. This order is named the
Disc-like fungi (Discomycetes). In this the spore-bearing surface is on
the upper or outside surface of the mushroom cap. It is divided into
many genera, of which we shall mention three--the Cup fungi, or Pezizas,
the Morels or Morchellas, and the Yellowish fungi or Helvellas.
+PEZIZAS = the Cup fungi.+
These form a very large group, mostly growing on decaying plants. They
are typically disc-shaped or cup-shaped, and when young are closed or
nearly so, opening when mature. They vary in size from minute species to
large fleshy ones, 3 to 4 inches in diameter. They are generally small,
thin, and tough. They grow on twigs, leaves, dead wood, or on the
ground. Many are stemless. They are both solitary and densely clustered.
The color varies from pale brown to a dark gray, resembling, when moist,
india-rubber cloth, and then, again, there are many of brilliant
hues--red and orange. Some are erect, some are split down at the side
like the ear of a hare. The Cup fungi are found in August and September,
growing near ditches, and by the roadside where there is moisture. The
ear-shaped Pezizas somewhat resemble the Jew’s ear, and the beginner
might easily confound them. This latter fungus belongs to the third
class of membrane fungi (Hymenomycetes), and it is included in the
descriptions of fungi.
+THE MORELS or MORCHELLAS = the honey-combed fungi.+
The collector during the months of April and May will enjoy a new
experience when he first finds a fungus of a bright brown color, deeply
pitted, spongy looking, cone-shaped or nearly round; its head supported
on an erect, white stem. He will probably find it on a grassy hillside
or along a running brook under some forest trees. He has perhaps seen
its picture and at once exclaims, “my first Morel.” He will notice its
peculiar honey-combed depression, and then cutting it open will find
both the head and the stem hollow. Where are the spores? There are no
gills as in the Agarics, nor are they concealed in a covering
(peridium), as in the Puff-balls, but they are contained in delicate
sacs on the cap. The exterior surface of the cap is the spore-bearing
portion, and the spores are developed in their sacs, but only seen under
a microscope.
+HELVELLA = the yellowish mushroom.+
This genus may be readily recognized by the form of the cap, which is
lobed and irregularly waved and drooping, often attached to the stem.
They grow on the ground in the woods, and sometimes on rotten wood. The
genus comprises the largest of the Disc fungi known, some species
weighing over a pound. Cicero mentions the Helvellas as a favorite dish
of the Romans.
+THE TRUFFLE = delicacy.+
It will be well to finish this section with the mention of the Truffle.
It may yet be found in the United States, but hitherto its place of
growth has been on the continent of Europe, and especially in France,
where it forms an article of commerce, and is highly prized as food. It
is subterranean, and requires for its discovery a higher sense of smell
than man possesses. It is generally found by the hog and the dog, who
are trained to help the truffle hunters. There are some species in our
country that resemble it, and grow underneath the ground. One, found in
the Southern States, called Rhizopogon, grows in sandy soil. This
species, however, does not belong to Class II., but to Class I., the
Gasteromycetes, or Stomach fungi. It is not likely that the beginner
will find this mushroom, so no description will be given.
GENERAL HELPS TO THE MEMORY.
There are certain facts which if committed to memory will be of great
help to beginners in classifying mushrooms. There are distinctive
features belonging to different genera, which will be enumerated as
follows. These facts apply to the order of Agarics, containing the
largest number of familiar mushrooms. They have been placed in tables
for the convenience of the beginner, and are arranged without regard to
family relationship.
_Mushrooms Containing both Volva and Ring (Annulus)._
There is only one genus that has both volva and ring. Amanita.
_Mushrooms with Ring and no Volva._
1. Pholiota.
2. Annularia.
3. Stropharia.
4. Psalliota.
5. Armillaria.
6. Lepiota.
_Mushrooms that have the stem attached on the side (lateral) or between
Margin and Centre (eccentric)._
1. Crepidotus.
2. Claudopus.
3. Pleurotus.
_Mushrooms with tough or cartilaginous Stems._
1. Psathyra.
2. Nolanea.
3. Mycena.
4. Marasmius.
5. Naucoria.
6. Leptonia.
7. Omphalia.
8. Collybia.
9. Psilocybe.
10. Galera.
_Mushrooms, Stemless._
1. Schizophyllum.
2. Trogia.
3. Lenzites.
_Mushrooms that have the Cap bell-shaped (campanulate) and Marked with
Lines (striate)._
1. Psathyra.
2. Galera.
3. Nolanea.
4. Mycena.
_Mushrooms with Gills attached to Stem and a Ring._
1. Stropharia.
2. Armillaria.
3. Pholiota.
_Mushrooms Having Gills with serrated edge._
1. Lentinus.
_Mushrooms with Free Gills not attached to Stem._
1. Chitonia.
2. Psalliota.
3. Pluteolus.
4. Pluteus.
5. Volvaria.
6. Lepiota.
7. Amanita.
_Mushrooms with emarginate sinuate Gills, or with notch near to Stem._
1. Hypholoma.
2. Tricholoma.
3. Hebeloma.
4. Entoloma.
_Mushrooms that are corky and leathery._
1. Lenzites.
2. Lentinus.
3. Schizophyllum.
4. Panus.
_Mushrooms with Gills running down Stem more or less (decurrent)._
1. Gomphidius.
2. Paxillus.
3. Tubaria (some species).
4. Flammula (some adnate).
5. Eccilia (truly decurrent).
6. Clitopilus (somewhat decurrent).
7. Panus (some species decurrent).
8. Lentinus (mostly decurrent).
9. Cantharellus.
10. Hygrophorus (mostly decurrent).
11. Pleurotus (some decurrent).
12. Omphalia (truly decurrent).
13. Clitocybe (decurrent or adnate).
14. Lactarius (decurrent or adnato-decurrent).
_Mushrooms that are deliquescent or turn into inky fluid._
1. Coprinus.
2. Bolbitius.
It will also be useful to the beginner to see a list of Agarics
classified according to botanists by the color of their spores.
CLASSIFICATION OF AGARICS BY COLOR OF SPORES.
1. Leucosporæ (white spores).
2. Rhodosporæ (rosy or salmon spores).
3. Ochrosporæ (ochraceous spores).
4. Melanosporæ (dark purple or black spores).
_Leucosporæ, or White Spores._
1. Amanita.
2. Lepiota.
3. Armillaria.
4. Tricholoma.
5. Clitocybe.
6. Collybia.
7. Mycena.
8. Omphalia.
9. Pleurotus.
10. Trogia.
11. Hygrophorus.
12. Lactarius.
13. Russula.
14. Cantharellus.
15. Marasmius.
16. Lentinus.
17. Panus.
18. Xerotus.
19. Schizophyllum.
20. Lenzites.
21. Arrhenia (pallid spores).
_Rhodosporæ, Rosy or Salmon Spores._
1. Volvaria.
2. Pluteus.
3. Enteloma.
4. Leptonia.
5. Nolanea.
6. Eccilia.
7. Claudopus.
8. Clitopilus.
_Ochrosporæ, or Ochraceous Spores._
1. Pholiota.
2. Inocybe.
3. Hebeloma.
4. Flammula.
5. Naucoria.
6. Pluteolus.
7. Galera.
8. Tubaria.
9. Crepidotus.
10. Cortinarius.
11. Acetabularia.
12. Paxillus (spores are ferruginous or dingy white).
13. Bolbitius (ferruginous spores).
_Melanosporæ, Dark Purple or Black Spores._
1. Chitonia.
2. Psalliota.
3. Stropharia.
4. Hypholoma.
5. Psilocybe.
6. Psathyra.
7. Panæolus.
8. Psathyrella.
9. Coprinus.
10. Gomphidius.
11. Anellaria.
Having arranged these lists of mushrooms by their different
characteristics, and then by the color of the spores, we will give a
list of fungi familiar to most persons, classified according to the
colors of the cap. The far greater number have been analyzed by the
writers, and a full description is given to enable the beginner more
easily to identify them.
The reader will notice that in the lists of fungi given above there are
certain genera not elsewhere mentioned in this book. He will understand
that it is inadvisable in a short primer to allude to all the genera
that exist. It was, however, impossible to give a complete table without
including them in it.
[Illustration: Russula pectinata.
Photographed by C. G. Lloyd.]
DESCRIPTIONS OF FUNGI, ARRANGED ACCORDING TO COLOR OF CAP ONLY.
MUSHROOMS WITH RED OR PINK COLORED CAP.
The genus Russula probably contains the largest number of mushrooms with
reddish caps, the word Russula meaning reddish.
+RUSSULA EMETICA = a vomit.+
+The Nauseating Russula.+
+Cap+ bright blood red, at first rosy, then blood color, tawny when old,
3 to 4 inches broad, first bell-shaped, then flattened or depressed,
polished, margin at length grooved (sulcate), flesh white, reddish under
the cuticle. +Stem+ 1½ to 3 inches long, ¾ of an inch thick, white
or with a reddish hue, spongy, stuffed, stout, elastic when young,
fragile when old, even, tapering slightly upward. +Gills+ free, broad,
rather distant, white.
This is found on the ground among dead leaves, in the woods and open
places from July to December. It has a bitter taste, and is said to be
poisonous. Those eating it are often affected as if they had taken an
emetic. It is easily distinguished by the fact of the flesh turning red
immediately under the skin when it is peeled off. There are numerous
varieties of it, in one the stem has minute wrinkles running lengthwise.
We found it in different localities. The taste was acrid. It was one of
the first and the last mushrooms that we gathered. (Poisonous.)
+RUSSULA SANGUINEA = blood.+
+The Blood-colored Russula.+
+Cap+ blood red, becoming pale at margin, 2 to 3 inches broad, at first
convex, then depressed, and funnel-shaped (infundibuliform), irregularly
swollen in the centre, polished, even, margin acute, moist in damp
weather. Flesh firm, cheesy, white. +Stem+ stout, spongy, stuffed, at
first contracted at apex, then equal, slightly marked with lines white
or reddish. +Gills+ at first fastened to stem and then decurrent,
crowded, narrow, connected by veins, fragile, somewhat forked, shining
white, afterward turning ochraceous color. The taste is acrid and
peppery. It is found in woods from August to September, and is not
common. (Poisonous.)
+RUSSULA ROSEIPES = rosy stem.+
+The Rosy Stemmed Russula.+
This is a striking-looking mushroom. The colors are pretty, and the
tinge of red in the stem adds to its beauty. There are other species of
Russula that also have red tints in the stem. +Cap+ rosy red, with pink
and orange hues, 1 to 2 inches broad, convex, becoming nearly plane or
slightly depressed; at first viscid, soon dry, slightly marked with
lines on the thin margin, taste mild. +Gills+ moderately close, nearly
entire, rounded behind and slightly adnexed, swollen in the middle,
whitish, becoming yellow. +Stem+ 1 to 2 inches long, 3 to 4 lines thick,
slightly tapering upward, stuffed or hollow, white, tinged with red.
It is distinguished from other species by its mild taste, rosy cap,
commonly dry and but slightly striate on margin, its gills changing from
white to yellow or slightly ochraceous, and being partially attached to
the stem, and its stem being slightly stained with rosy red. It grows in
pine and hemlock woods, and is found in July and August. (Edible.)
+RUSSULA LEPIDA = neat or elegant.+
+The Elegant Russula.+
+Cap+ at first is a bright red, but becomes a dull reddish-pink, paler
at the disc, 3 inches broad, dry, fleshy, convex; then expanded,
scarcely depressed, obtuse and polished, afterward cracked (rimose), and
with minute scales (squamulose). The margin spreading and rounded,
obtuse, _not_ striate. +Stem+ about 3 inches long, from 1 to 1½ inch
thick, even, solid, white, or rose color. +Gills+ rounded behind, rather
thick, somewhat crowded, often forked, connected by veins, white, often
red at edge. Taste mild. We found our specimen in mixed woods. The stem
was only tinged with pink. (Edible.)
+LACTARIUS VOLEMUS = a kind of large pear. (From its shape.)+
+The Orange Brown Lactarius.+
+Cap+ 3 to 5 inches broad, reddish-orange color, becoming pale, compact,
rigid, obtuse, with the margin bent inward, depressed, at length marked
with lines like a river (rimose). Flesh white, turning brown. +Stem+
2 to 3 inches long, ¾ to 1¼ inch thick, stout, stuffed, then hollow,
paler at apex, with a bloom, same color as cap, with lengthwise lines.
+Gills+ adnato-decurrent, yellowish turning ochraceous, broad, thin,
crowded, milk sweet and plentiful. Stevenson says that the taste of this
Lactarius is delicious, that it is savory even when raw. It should not
be kept too long before cooking, or it will emit a strong, unpleasant
odor. It is abundant in chestnut or oak woods from July to September.
Our specimen was much wrinkled on the margin. The milk was abundant.
(Edible.)
+LACTARIUS ICHORATUS = lymph.+
+The Colorless Lactarius.+
The name of this species is given on account of the color of the milk
(Stevenson). +Cap+ a tawny pinkish-red color, 3 to 4 inches broad,
zoned, plano-depressed, margin often wavy, dry, flesh creamy white or
pallid. +Stem+ 1½ to 3 inches long, thick, solid, afterward spongy,
equal, smooth, the same color as the cap, lighter at the apex. +Gills+
adnate, slightly decurrent, not crowded, creamy white, turning
ochraceous. Milk white, sweet. It has a strong smell. In the specimen we
found the stem was slightly marked with lines and the milk plentiful. It
is not spoken of as edible.
+LACTARIUS MITISSIMUS = mild.+
The name only applies to the taste of the milk. (Stevenson.)
+Cap+ a light, bright reddish-orange, golden tawny color, 1 to 4 inches
broad, even, then depressed, smooth, sticky when moist, flesh whitish,
turning yellow. +Stem+ 1 to 4 inches long, thick, stuffed, then hollow,
even, smooth, same color as cap. +Gills+ slightly running down the stem,
rounded at one end, broad, yellowish. Milk mild, then bitterish and
plentiful. It is found in pine and mixed woods from August until
November. It has a beautiful color, and resembles in that particular L.
volemus.
+CORTINARIUS ARMILLATUS = a ring or bracelet.+
+The Zoned Cortinarius.+
+Cap+ a tawny reddish-yellow, brick red, 2 to 5 inches broad, fleshy,
bell-shaped or almost conical, then convex, dry, smooth, marked with
reddish specks, darker toward the centre, flesh white, turning red and
narrowing toward the margin. +Stem+ 3 to 6 inches long, ½ inch thick,
solid, firm, slightly tapering toward the apex, very bulbous at base,
same color as cap, stuffed with brown pith inside. There are two or
three reddish oblique zones encircling the stem. +Gills+ adnate, swollen
in the middle, distant, variable, at first pale cinnamon color, and then
dark brown. We found them at the end of August in great numbers,
sometimes united in tufts (cæspitose) in all stages of growth, the
younger ones covered with a cobwebby veil, which is paler in color than
the zones. They grow in mixed woods.
+CLITOCYBE LACCATA = a resinous substance.+
+The Waxy Clitocybe.+
This species is small in size. +Cap+ is about 1 inch broad, thin, convex
and almost plane. Sometimes with a depression (umbilicate). When moist
it has a water-soaked look, and becomes pale in drying. When wet it has
a peculiar flesh color, but when dry it is a pale yellowish-red hue.
+Stem+ is long and slender, tough and of same color as cap, 2 lines
thick, fibrous, stuffed, often twisted and white, with soft, weak hairs
at base (villous). +Gills+ are attached to stem with a decurrent tooth,
broad, distant, of a peculiar flesh color. We found several varieties.
One had gills of a beautiful violet color (Var. amethystina), in another
the gills were pale (Var. pallidifolia). (Peck.) A small form with
radiating lines extending from near the centre to the margin (Var.
striatula), Peck, is an interesting species and often seen. They grow
closely together on the sides of roads, in groups, all through the
season. Sometimes the cap is very small, ¼ inch across. It often grows
in arcs of circles.
+CLITOCYBE INFUNDIBULIFORMIS = funnel-shaped.+
+The Funnel-shaped Clitocybe.+
+Cap+ a pale red color, 2 to 3 inches broad, convex when young, then
slightly raised in the middle, umbonate, afterward the margin is
elevated and the cap becomes funnel-shaped and the margin wavy.
Flesh thin and white. +Stem+ 1½ to 3 inches long, 2 to 3 lines thick,
smooth, paler colored than the cap, tapering upward. +Gills+ rather
decurrent, arc-shaped, broad, distant, whitish, not yellow, netted with
veins. This is also a variable species and grows in woods. It is pretty,
and is easily known by its shape.
+BOLETUS MURRAYI.+
+Murray’s Boletus.+
+Cap+ dark red, 1 to 3 inches broad, granulated, convex, with a slight
mound or umbo, margin turned upward, flesh yellow. +Stem+ ½ inch long,
yellow. Tubes lemon color, angular and round, irregular. The stem in our
specimen was granulated like the cap.
+BOLETUS CHROMAPES = chrome yellow and foot.+
+The Chrome-footed Boletus.+
+Cap+ tawny red, 2 to 4 inches broad, convex or nearly plane, flesh
white. Tubes almost attached (subadnate), depressed around the stem,
whitish, turning a pinkish-brown color. +Stem+ equal or tapering upward,
rough whitish color, with reddish specks upon it, but chrome yellow at
the base, both outside and inside, and spongy within. Stem 2 to 4 inches
long, about ½ inch thick. This is not a hard boletus to distinguish on
account of the yellow color at the base of the stem. The Boleti seem to
be most abundant from the beginning of July until early in September.
There are many varieties of beautiful colors, and they are a most
interesting group, especially to beginners. This may be partly owing to
the fact that Professor Peck’s pamphlet on “Boleti” is clearly
expressed, and the descriptions so vivid and plain that one has less
trouble in naming them than any other class of fungi.
+HYGROPHORUS MINEATUS = vermilion.+
+The Vermilion Hygophorus.+
+Cap+ 1 inch broad, at first vermilion color and then paler, broad,
flattened and then even, depressed in centre by the margin becoming
elevated. It is thin and fragile at first, even, smooth, and then scaly.
+Stem+ from 1 to 2 inches long, slender, 1 line thick, a little paler
than the cap, equal, round, somewhat stuffed, smooth, shining. +Gills+
attached, seldom decurrent, distant, distinct, yellow color, shaded with
red. This species is very fragile. It grows in woods or in open country,
on mosses or on dead leaves. It may be cæspitose, or grows singly from
July to October.
+HYGROPHORUS COCCINEUS = scarlet color.+
+The Scarlet Hygrophorus.+
+Cap+, first bright scarlet and then changing to a paler hue. One to 2
inches broad and even more, convex, plane, often unequal, obtuse,
sticky, and even, smooth, flesh of the same color as cap. +Stem+ 2
inches long, 3 to 4 lines thick, hollow, then compressed and rather
even, scarlet color like cap, but always yellow at the base. +Gills+
wholly attached, decurrent, with a tooth, distant, connected by veins,
soft, watery, when full grown, purplish at the base, light yellow in the
middle, powdery at the edge, fragile. This species grows in pastures,
and is common. It is found from August to November.
+HYGROPHORUS PUNICEUS = blood red.+
+The Blood-red Hygrophorus.+
+Cap+ 2 to 4 inches broad, glittering blood scarlet, when older becomes
paler, at first bell-shaped, obtuse, commonly spread out or lobed,
irregular, even, smooth, sticky. Flesh of the same color as cap,
fragile. +Stem+ 3 inches long, 1 to 1½ inch thick. Solid when young,
at length hollow, very stout, swollen in middle, thinner at both ends,
marked with lines and generally scaly at apex; when dry either yellow or
same color as the cap, always white at first, and often incurved at the
base. +Gills+ ascending, swollen in middle, 2 to 4 lines broad, distant,
thick, white or light yellow, or yellow, and often reddish at base. This
is a very handsome species. It is found in pastures from July to
November.
MUSHROOMS WITH YELLOW OR ORANGE COLORED CAP.
+CANTHARELLUS CIBARIUS = food.+
+The Chantarelle.+
+Cap+ bright orange or egg color, first convex, and then depressed,
at length top-shaped and smooth. The margin lobed and turning under
(involute). Flesh thick and white. +Stem+ 1 to 1½ inch long, thickened
upward, solid, fleshy. +Gills+ running down the stem, thick, distant,
fold-like. Stevenson does not give the size of the cap, but our
specimen measured 2 inches in breadth. It had an odor like ripe
apricots, and a pleasant taste. It is often tufted in its growth. It is
found in woods from July to December. This is a very striking looking
mushroom and easily distinguished. It often grows in rings or arcs of
circles. (Edible.)
+HYPHOLOMA FASCICULARE = a small bundle.+
+The Tufted Hypholoma.+
+Cap+ a beautiful reddish color, like a peach; the disc darker, about 2
inches broad, fleshy, thin, convex, then plane, with a slight mound or
umbo, even, smooth, dry; flesh a light yellow. +Stem+ variable in
length, 2 to 9 inches long, 2 lines thick, hollow, thin, incurved or
curved, covered with fibres of same color as cap. +Gills+ adnate, very
crowded, linear, somewhat liquid when mature (deliquescent), sulphur
yellow, and then becoming green, taste bitter. It grows in crowded
clusters. It is said to be poisonous.
+AMANITA MUSCARIA = a fly.+
+The Fly Amanita.+
+Cap+ at first red, then orange, then becoming pale, about 4 inches
broad, convex, and then flat, covered with thick fragments of volva;
margin when grown slightly marked with lines; flesh white, yellow under
the cuticle. +Stem+ white, sometimes yellowish, 2 inches long, torn into
scales, at first stuffed, then hollow; the attached base of the volva
forms an oval-shaped bulb, which is bordered with concentric scales,
that is, having a common centre, as a series of rings one within the
other. +Ring+ very soft, torn, even, inserted at the apex of the stem,
which is often dilated. +Gills+ free but reaching the stem, decurrent,
in the form of lines, crowded, broader in front, white, rarely becoming
yellow. It grows in woods from July to November. This mushroom is easily
identified by its orange-colored cap, covered with white warts and _pure
white stem and gills_. We found several specimens in the woods, all of a
most beautiful striking color. (Poisonous.)
+AMANITA FROSTIANA.+
+Frost’s Amanita.+
+Cap+ a bright yellow, almost orange color, 1½ inch broad, convex or
expanded, covered with warts, but sometimes nearly smooth, the margin
marked with lines (striate.) +Gills+ white or tinged with yellow, free
from the stem. +Stem+ 2 to 3 inches long, white or yellowish, stuffed,
slender, bearing a slight evanescent ring; bulbous at the base, bulb
slightly margined by the volva. We found several specimens growing in
mixed woods. It is smaller than A. muscaria, more slender, with a
beautiful color.
+TRICHOLOMA EQUESTRE = a knight.+
+The Canary Mushroom, so called from its color.+
+Cap+ pale yellow, 3 to 5 inches broad, darker at disc, tinged with a
brick red hue, and yellow near margin, convex, then plane, wavy,
irregular; flesh white, thick. +Stem+ 1 to 2 inches long, and ½ to ⅔
inch thick, generally white, sometimes yellow, stout and solid. +Gills+
close, deeply notched near the stem, a beautiful pale yellow color,
scarcely adnexed, broad, somewhat swollen in middle. It grows in pine
woods and appears in the autumn.
+TRICHOLOMA SULPHUREUM = sulphur.+
+The Sulphury Tricholoma.+
+Cap+ dingy sulphur yellow color, ½ to 4 inches broad, at first round
with a slight umbo, at length depressed, rather silky, then smooth and
even. +Stem+ 2 to 4 inches long, 3 to 4 lines thick, stuffed, somewhat
equal but often curved, rather smooth, striate, sulphur yellow, of same
color as cap. +Gills+ adnexed, narrowed behind, rather thick, distant,
distinct, brighter than the cap. This is also found in autumn in the
woods, and is quite common. It has a strange disagreeable odor.
+LACTARIUS DELICIOSUS = delicious.+
+The Delicious Lactarius.+
+Cap+ orange brick color, 2 to 6 inches broad, becoming pale, fleshy,
when young depressed in centre, margin turned under (involute), then
flat and depressed, or funnel-shaped, with margin unfolded, smooth,
zoned, slightly sticky. The zones become faded in the old plants. The
flesh is whitish or tinged with yellow. +Stem+ a little paler than the
cap, with spots of deeper orange, 1 to 4 inches long, ⅓ to ⅔ of an
inch thick, stuffed, then hollow, fragile. +Gills+ running down the stem
(decurrent), orange color, crowded, narrow, becoming pale and green when
wounded. The milk is orange color. It grows in pine woods and in wet,
mossy swamps. It resembles the orange brown Lactarius in size and shape,
but the color is different, so we have placed it in the orange-colored
section and L. volemus in the red division of colors.
[Illustration: Lactarius insulsus.
Photographed by C. G. Lloyd.]
+STROPHARIA SICCAPES = dry and foot.+
+The Dry Stropharia.+
Stropharia is taken from a Greek word meaning sword belt, referring to
its ring (Stevenson). Siccapes is from two words meaning dry and foot.
It grows on horse manure. Stevenson does not mention this species. It is
described by Mr. Peck in the State reports. +Cap+ is a light yellow,
darker in the centre, ¼ inch to 1 inch broad, bell-shaped, sticky, shiny
when dry, even. +Stem+ sometimes 4 inches long, slender, straight, dry,
base almost club-shaped. +Ring+ scarcely perceptible, but forming a
whitish zone, shining, persistent, apex of stem whitish, and slightly
striate. +Gills+ dark gray, almost blackish, the margin paler, adfixed,
thin. We found a great many in one place, of all sizes, from 1 line
across cap to 1 inch. In some specimens the ring was wanting, but in
others it was apparent.
+CANTHARELLUS AURANTIACUS = orange yellow.+
+The Orange Chanterelle.+
This species takes its name from its color. +Cap+ is orange yellow, 2 to
3 inches broad, fleshy, soft, depressed, often eccentric, with the stem
between centre and margin, and wavy, somewhat tomentose and involute at
the margin. +Stem+ 2 inches long, stuffed, and then hollow, somewhat
incurved and unequal, yellowish. +Gills+ decurrent, tense, and straight,
repeatedly dividing by pairs from below upward (dichotomous) and
crowded, often crisped at base, orange color. This species grows in
woods, and is often found there during the months of autumn. Some
consider it poisonous.
+CANTHARELLUS INFUNDIBULIFORMIS = funnel-shaped.+
+The Funnel-Shaped Chantarelle.+
+Cap+ yellow when moist, 1 to 2 inches broad, umbilicate, then
funnel-shaped, wrinkled on the surface, at length wavy at margin. +Stem+
2 to 3 inches long, 2 lines thick, hollow (fistulose), a little
thickened at the base, even, smooth, always a light yellow. +Gills+
decurrent, thick, distant, dichotomous, straight, light yellow; when
old, ash color (cinereous.) This is found in the woods from July to
October.
+BOLETUS HEMICHRYSUS = half and golden.+
+The Half Golden Boletus.+
The descriptions of the Boleti are all written after comparing the
specimens we found with those described in Professor Peck’s work on
Boleti. We examined and analyzed all those placed on the list. The
descriptions written by Professor Peck are so clear and faithful to
nature that it makes the task of calling them by name much easier than
any other fungi we have studied. +Cap+ bright golden yellow, 1½ to
2½ inches broad, convex plane and depressed, with minute wooly scales
(floccose squamulose), and covered with a yellow powder (pulverulent),
sometimes with cracks (rimose). Flesh thick and yellow. Tubes decurrent,
yellow, becoming brown; mouths large, angular. +Stem+ short, about 1
inch long, 3 to 6 lines thick, irregular, narrowing toward the base,
sprinkled with a yellowish dust, tinged with red. We found it growing on
an old stump, in pine woods, in the month of August.
+BOLETUS GRANULATUS = granules.+
+The Granulated Boletus.+
This Boletus varies much in color. In our specimen it was a
pinkish-yellow, and covered with yellow spots of a darker shade. We
found it in all sizes, from 2 to 4 inches broad. +Cap+ was convex,
nearly plane, viscid when moist. It became more of a yellow color when
it was dry. Flesh pale yellow. The tubes were adnate, short and
yellowish. +Stem+ 1 to 2 inches long, 4 to 6 lines thick. Some were
united in tufts (cæspitose), others were gregarious (in groups) or
solitary. They grew on the edge of pine woods, and near the roadside.
The stem was dotted in the upper part with glandules and was pale
yellow.
+BOLETUS CYANESCENS = bright blue.+
+The Bluing Boletus.+
+Cap+ a light pale brownish-yellow, or a light yellow color
(alutaceous), 2 to 5 inches broad, with minute wooly scales, convex or
nearly plane. Flesh white, changing quickly to blue when cut. Tubes
free, white, afterward yellow; mouths small, round. Tubes change also to
a bluish-green when bruised. +Stem+ 2 to 4 inches long, ¾ to ½ inch
thick, swollen in the middle (ventricose), covered with a bloom
(pruinose), stuffed and then hollow, tapering toward the apex, colored
like the cap. This is a very easy Boletus to distinguish from others,
and interesting to the beginner on account of the striking and beautiful
change of color. Found in hemlock and pine woods toward the end of
August.
+PHOLIOTA ADIPOSA = fat.+
+The Stout Pholiota.+
+Cap+ bright yellowish or orange color, 3 to 7 inches broad, convex,
then flattened, gibbous, that is, more convex on one side than on the
other; viscid, covered with woolly (floccose) scales, which often
separate. Flesh whitish. +Stem+ 3 to 6 inches long, ½ to 1 inch thick,
solid, large at base, first white and then light yellow, with darker
scales. +Ring+ yellow, and then ironrust color (ferruginous.) +Gills+
adnate, slightly rounded, broad at first, yellow and then darker. We
were driving through a thick woods when we saw the bright yellow cap of
this mushroom peering among the bushes. There was no apparent ring and
few scales except on the margin. It was irregularly shaped, fleshy and
thick. It was not a typical specimen, and a beginner would have found it
difficult to name. The then recent hard rains had washed nearly all the
scales from the cap, and the ring was hardly to be seen. It grew on the
trunk of a tree in the month of September. Not edible.
+PHOLIOTA SPECTABILIS = showy.+
+The Showy Pholiota.+
This Pholiota was found much later in the season. +Cap+ is from 2 to 5
inches broad, a golden yellow, then growing paler, fleshy, torn into
squamules, dry, flesh thick, hard, sulphur yellow. +Stem+ about 3 inches
long and 1 inch thick, solid, hard, swollen in the middle, and extending
into a spindle-shaped root. It is sometimes smooth and shining and
sometimes scaly, sulphur yellow color and mealy _above_ the ring.
+Gills+ adnate, crowded, narrow, at first pure yellow and afterward
ironrust color. Gills have sometimes a small decurrent tooth
(Stevenson), but our specimen had none. It grew together (cæspitose) on
a stump. Not edible.
+MARASMIUS OREADES = a mountain nymph.+
+The Fairy Ring Mushroom.+
+Cap+ when young and moist is of a pale yellowish-red, but fades when
dry to pale yellow. It is from 1 to 2 inches broad, fleshy, tough,
convex, then plane, somewhat umbonate, even, smooth, slightly striate at
margin when moist. +Stem+ 1 to 2 inches long and less than ¼ inch thick;
slender, solid, tough, equal, sometimes cartilaginous, straight, covered
with a close woven skin that can be rubbed off. +Gills+ free or slightly
attached, whitish or creamy yellow, broad, distant, the alternate ones
shorter, rounded, or deeply notched at inner end. These mushrooms grow
in circles and are called fairy rings. They are found chiefly on lawns
and pastures from May till October. We saw one specimen in October. It
grew in a waste lot at Kaighn’s Point, Camden, N.J. It was solitary, of
a brownish-yellow color, the cap 1 inch broad, and the stem 1 inch long.
It was growing amidst some ballast plants, the only mushroom there.
+COPRINUS MICACEUS = mica.+
+The Glistening Coprinus.+
+Cap+ varies from buff to tawny yellow, 1 to 2 inches broad, bell-shaped
(campanulate) or conical (cone-shaped), thin, marked with lengthwise
lines, which extend half-way up from the margin. The disc is even and is
more highly colored. It is often sprinkled with shiny atoms when young.
+Gills+ at first whitish, then brown or black. +Stem+ 1 to 3 inches
long, slender, hollow and white. The spores are dark brown. We found it
in great numbers growing on the ground amidst the grass in September and
October. It may be seen as early as April. It is a pretty species.
(Edible.)
MUSHROOMS WITH GRAY COLORED CAP.
+AMANITA STROBILIFORMIS = a pine cone.+
+The Warted Amanita.+
+Cap+ light gray, or dingy white when young; 7 to 9 inches broad when
expanded fully. It is covered with large pyramidal, persistent warts.
The margin is even, and extends beyond the gills. Flesh firm and white.
+Stem+ 6 to 8 inches long, 1 to 3 inches thick, solid, scaly, tapering
upward, with a bulbous base and marked with a series of rings near the
root, which extends deep into the ground. +Ring+ large, torn. +Gills+
white, free, rounded near the stem, ⅜ inch broad. This is said to be
rather rare. We found it twice in August growing solitary on the
roadside in the grass. It was large-sized, measuring 7 inches across
cap, of a grayish-white color, with prominent warts; the stem was mealy,
the volva was large. It was marked with distinct rings near the base.
When kept many hours the smell becomes disagreeable. The name is given
on account of the shape of the warts, which are conspicuous.
[Illustration: Amanita vaginata.
Photographed by C. G. Lloyd.]
+AMANITA VAGINATA = a sheath.+
+The Sheathed Mushroom.+
+Cap+ gray, mouse color, sometimes slate-colored gray, and even
brownish, 2 to 4 inches broad. It is thin and fragile, convex, and then
nearly flat, with a slight mound or umbo, but sometimes none. It is
deeply striate or grooved (sulcate) on the margin. +Stem+ is white and
often covered with mealy particles. It is slender, either hollow or
stuffed, 3 to 5 inches long, ⅓ to ½ inch thick. It is not bulbous,
but is sheathed quite high in a loose, soft wrapper, the remains of the
volva. There is no ring. +Gills+ are whitish, free from the stem, and
rounded. It is easily broken. There are several varieties (Peck). In one
the plant is white, Var. alba. In Var. livida the cap is a leaden
brownish color, and in the Var. fulva the cap is tawny yellow and
ochraceous. The mouse-colored form is the most common. We found many
specimens in July and August.
+CORTINARIUS CORRUGATUS = wrinkled.+
+The Wrinkled Cortinarius.+
+Cap+ gray, with a pinkish-yellowish tint, 2 inches broad, campanulate,
sticky, broken up into squamules, pellicle scaling, margin thin. +Stem+
slender, 5 inches long, shiny, mealy at apex, slightly bulbous. +Gills+
gray color, adnexed, distant, ventricose. This is a pretty mushroom. The
shade of color of the pileus is delicate. We found it in August in the
woods.
+BOLETUS FELLEUS = bitter.+
+The Bitter Boletus.+
This Boletus varies much in color; our plant was a brownish-gray,
a dingy color. +Cap+ 3 to 8 inches broad, convex or nearly plane,
glabrous, even, flesh white, turning to flesh or pink color when
wounded. Taste bitter, tubes adnate, long, depressed around the stem,
crowded. +Stem+ variable, 2 to 4 inches long, about ½ to 1 inch thick,
equal or tapering, reticulated above, bulbous or enlarged at base, a
little paler than the pileus. The Boleti we found grew in great numbers,
in different localities, and were of all sizes. The color of the
reticulations was a brownish-gray.
+BOLETUS GRISEUS = gray.+
+The Gray Boletus.+
+Cap+ dark gray, 2 to 4 inches broad, broadly convex, smooth, soft,
silky, flesh whitish. Tubes adnate, slightly depressed, mouths small.
+Stem+ 2 to 4 inches long, 3 to 6 lines thick, yellowish, much
reticulated, sometimes reddish toward the base. Our plant was of a
brownish color at base, and grew in the month of September.
+PSALLIOTA CAMPESTRIS = a field.+
+The Common Mushroom.+
There are several edible species of the genus Psalliota, chiefly the
Field or Common Mushroom, which is constantly seen on our tables. +Cap+
varies from white and gray to brown. It is 2 to 4 inches broad, fleshy,
convex, then flattened, dry, sometimes covered with silky fibrils, and
when old smooth. The margin of the cap generally extends beyond the
gills. Flesh white. +Stem+ rather short, 1 to 3 inches long, ⅓ to ⅔
inch thick, white or whitish, slender, stuffed and then hollow, nearly
even. +Ring+ distant, simple. +Gills+ free, ventricose, narrowing at
both ends, thin, first a pink color, then afterward brown or
blackish-brown. It grows in rich pastures or in meadows, and is
found in autumn. It has a most delicious flavor.
+AGARICUS PLACOMYCES.+
+The Flat-capped Mushroom.+
+Cap+ a whitish-gray, about 3 inches broad, convex, and then expanded
and flat. It is covered with small, distinct, brown, persistent scales,
except on the disc, where they are so close together that they appear of
a brown color. +Stem+ is long and slender, 3 inches and more, stuffed
and then hollow, equal and bulbous at the base. It is whitish, but
sometimes has yellowish stains toward the base. +Gills+ are first white,
then pink, and lastly a blackish-brown. It grows under trees, and is
found in summer and autumn.
+COPRINTUS ATRAMENTARIUS = ink.+
+The Inky Coprinus.+
+Cap+ gray or grayish-brown, smooth, except a slight scaly appearance on
the disc. It is silky near the margin, and the margin is irregular. When
young it is often egg-shaped. +Gills+ crowded, whitish, soon becoming
brown and then deliquescent. +Stem+ smooth, hollow, white. It grows in
clusters until late in the autumn. We found our plants on a lawn in
great profusion in the month of October.
+PLUTEUS CERVINUS = a deer.+
+The Fawn-colored Pluteus.+
+Cap+ about 3 inches broad, whitish-gray color, at first bell-shaped,
then expanded, smooth, even, but afterward broken up into fibrils,
margin entire; flesh soft, white. +Stem+ 3 to 6 inches long, nearly
equal and solid, whitish, striate with black fibrils. +Gills+ rounded
behind, free, crowded, ventricose, white, then flesh color as the spores
mature. This is a common species, appearing early in the season--April
to November. It usually grows from stumps and old logs. It can be easily
known by its gills, being quite free from the stem, where it joins the
pileus.
MUSHROOMS WITH A GREEN COLORED CAP.
+RUSSULA VIRESCENS = green.+
+The Greenish Russula.+
+Cap+ of a grayish-green color. It is 2 to 4 inches broad, dry and
broken up into small warts, the margin straight, obtuse, even; flesh
white. +Stem+ 2 inches long and ½ inch thick, solid, spongy inside,
firm, white, sometimes marked with lines (rivulose.) +Gills+ free,
whitish, narrowed toward the stem, somewhat crowded, sometimes equal and
forked, with a few shorter ones between. It is easily distinguished by
the dull green pileus, being without a cuticle, and scaly in the form of
patches. It is found in woods in July and September. We have not seen a
specimen of R. virescens, so have used Stevenson’s description. Edible,
taste mild.
+RUSSULA FURCATA = a fork.+
+The Forked Russula.+
+Cap+ from 3 to 5 inches broad, of an olive green color, sometimes
greenish umber, covered with a silky bloom, fleshy, gibbous, then
plano-depressed and funnel-shaped, cuticle here and there separable;
margin at first inflexed, then spreading. Flesh firm, thick, white.
+Stem+ 2 to 3 inches long, solid, firm, stout, white. +Gills+
adnato-decurrent, thick, distant, broad, narrowed at both ends, often
forked, white. Our specimen was 5 inches broad, and the margin slightly
striate, and when the cuticle was removed it was purplish underneath.
It was found in August, in woods. Poisonous, taste bitter.
MUSHROOMS WITH WHITE COLORED CAP.
+AMANITA VIROSA = poison.+
+The Poisonous Amanita.+
+Cap+ shining white, from 2½ to 4 inches broad, fleshy, at first
conical and acute, afterward bell-shaped and expanded, viscous in wet
weather, shining when dry, margin even, sometimes unequal, spreading and
inflexed, flesh white. +Stem+ 4 to 6 inches long, wholly stuffed, almost
solid, split up into lengthwise fibrils, cylindrical from a bulbous
base, surface torn into scales, springing from a loose, thick, wide
volva which bursts open at apex. +Ring+ large, loose, silky, splitting
into pieces. +Gills+ free, thin, a little broader toward margin,
crowded, not decurrent, though the stem is sometimes striate. This is a
poisonous species, but striking in appearance from the shining white of
the whole fungus. Found in the woods in August.
+AMANITA PHALLOIDES = appearance, phallus-like.+
+The Death Cup.+
This species is considered the most deadly of all the poisonous
mushrooms, and yet it is one of the most beautiful. We place it in the
section of white-colored mushrooms, though the cap is sometimes tinged
with light yellow and delicate green. +Cap+ 2 to 4 inches broad, ovate,
campanulate, then spreading, obtuse, with a cuticle, sticky in moist
weather, rarely sprinkled with one or two fragments of the volva, the
margin regular, even. +Stem+ 3 to 5 inches long, ½ inch thick, solid,
bulbous and tapering upward, smooth, white. +Ring+ superior, reflexed,
slightly striate, swollen, white. Volva more or less buried in the
ground, bursting open in a torn manner at the apex, with a loose border.
+Gills+ free, ventricose, 4 lines broad, shining white. This species, as
well as A. virosa, has a fetid odor when kept. We found it oftener than
any other species of Amanita.
+AMANITA NITIDA = to shine.+
+The Shining Amanita.+
+Cap+ whitish, 3 to 4 inches broad, somewhat compact, at first
hemispherical, covered with angular, adhering warts, which become a dark
color (fuscous.) It is dry, shining, the margin even; flesh white.
+Stem+ 3 inches long, 1 inch thick, solid, firm, with a bulb-shaped
base, scaly, white. +Ring+ superior, thin, torn, slightly striate,
covered with soft weak hairs beneath, which at length disappear. +Gills+
free, crowded, wide, nearly ½ inch broad, ventricose, shining white.
This was also found in August. There is nothing more beautiful than
these white poisonous Amanitas.
+LEPIOTA NAUCINOIDES = a nut shell.+
+The Smooth Lepiota.+
+Cap+ a clear white, with sometimes a brownish tint on the disc, 2 to 4
inches broad, smooth. +Stem+ 1 to 3 inches long, ¼ to ⅓ inch thick,
growing thicker toward the base, as if it had a bulb, white, hollow, but
stuffed with a cottony pith. +Gills+ white, when old they assume a
pinkish-brownish hue. +Ring+ has a thick, external edge, but its inner
edge is so thin that it often breaks from the stem and becomes movable.
It is found in the fields, by roadsides, or in the woods, from August to
November. We have not seen a specimen of this mushroom, which is said to
be nearly equal to the common mushroom in edible qualities. It is
considered to resemble it also in appearance, but Professor Peck says
the different color of the gills when the plants are both young will
distinguish them, and the thin collar and stuffed stem of L. naucinoides
is also different from thick-edged ring and hollow stem of A.
campestris. (Psalliota.)
+LACTARIUS PIPERATUS = peppery.+
+The Peppery Lactarius.+
+Cap+ white, 4 to 9 inches broad, fleshy, rigid, depressed in centre
when young, reflexed margin, at first involute, when full grown the
surface becomes funnel-shaped and regular, even, smooth, without zones;
flesh white. +Stem+ 1 to 2 inches long, 1 to 2 inches thick, solid,
obese, equal or obconical, slightly covered with powder (pruinose),
white. +Gills+ decurrent, crowded, narrow, scarcely broader than one
line, obtuse at edge, regularly dividing by pairs from below upward
(dichotomous), curved like a bow (arcuate), then all extended upward in
a straight line, white, with occasional yellow spots. The milk white,
unchangeable, plentiful, and acrid. This is common in woods. The cap in
one of our specimens turned yellow when old, and was slightly striate at
the margin; it was dry and thick and had no odor. The flesh had a
whitish-brownish tinge where the cuticle was peeled off. Found it _only_
in August.
+LACTARIUS VELLEREUS = fleece.+
+The Fleecy Lactarius.+
+Cap+ white, 5 to 7 inches broad, fleshy, compact, convex,
saucer-shaped, the margin for a long time sloping downward, with short,
downy hairs (pubescent), dry, zoneless. +Stem+ 2 to 3 inches long,
1 to 1½ inch thick, stout, solid, equal, covered with innate, thin
pubescence. +Gills+ arcuate, adnato-decurrent, rather thick, acute at
the edge, somewhat distant, rather broad, connected by branches, pallid,
watery, white. Milk scanty, white, very bitter. It is not said to be
edible. The cap tends to become a pallid, reddish tan. This description
is partially taken from Stevenson. The specimen we found had the margin
revolute, it was 2½ inches broad, and the stem 2 inches long. The
flesh was white and the cap was turning a brownish color. The stem
slightly tapered toward the base. The milk was scanty and peppery. Found
in the beginning of August in the woods. It resembles L. piperatus.
+BOLETUS ALBUS = white.+
+The White Boletus.+
+Cap+ white, from 1½ to 3 inches broad, convex, viscid when moist,
flesh white or yellowish, tubes small, nearly round (subrotund), adnate,
whitish, becoming ochraceous. +Stem+ 1½ to 3 inches long, 3 to 5 lines
thick, equal, white, sometimes tinged with pink near the base. We found
only one specimen of the white Boletus in August. It grew in the woods.
The flesh became yellow and the stem was 1¼ inch long, and it slightly
tapered toward the base.
+PLEUROTUS ULMARIUS = elm.+
+The Elm Pleurotus.+
The word pleurotus is taken from two Greek words, meaning a side and an
ear. It is given on account of the stem growing in a lateral or
eccentric manner. The Elm Pleurotus, so called from growing on elm
trees, is considered edible. Our specimen had the _cap_ whitish, but
stained in the centre with a rusty yellowish color, 3 to 5 inches broad,
thick, firm, smooth, convex, then plane. The skin was cracked in a
tessellated manner. Flesh was firm and white. +Stem+ white, 2 to 4
inches long, 1½ to ¾ inch thick, firm, smooth, a little hairy at
the base, and attached eccentrically to the cap. +Gills+ white with
a yellow hue, broad, rounded near the stem, slightly adnexed and not
crowded. It was found in October, and is not common.
+PLEUROTUS SAPIDUS = agreeable to taste.+
+The Palatable Pleurotus.+
This species generally grows in clusters with the stem united at the
base. Our specimen grew on a maple tree. The plants protruded from a
large crack in the trunk of a tree, about four feet above the ground,
and grew one above the other. They had not attained their full growth.
During former seasons they had been seen of a large size. +Pileus+ is
from 2 to 5 inches broad, grayish-white, smooth. +Caps+ often overlap
one another. Flesh is white. Gills broad, whitish, decurrent, and often
slightly connected by oblique branches. +Stem+ is generally short and
lateral. It grew in October. Professor Peck says that in edible
qualities it resembles the oyster mushroom, P. ostreatus.
MUSHROOMS WITH THE CAP BROWN AND VARIOUS SHADES OF BROWN.
+CORTINARIUS CINNAMOMEUS = cinnamon.+
+The Cinnamon-colored Cortinarius.+
+Cap+ a golden brown or bright cinnamon color, 1½ to 4 inches broad,
umbonate, silky, shining, squamulose, with yellowish fibrils, and then
smooth. +Stem+ 2 inches long, stuffed and then hollow, thin, equal,
tapering toward the base, yellowish color, as also are the flesh and the
veil. +Gills+ adnate, broad, crowded, shining reddish-brown color. Our
specimen had beautiful reddish-colored gills, Var. semisanguineus
(Peck). It grows in woods from August to November.
+COLLYBIA ACERVATA = a heap.+
+The Tufted Collybia.+
The name of the species is derived from a Latin word meaning a heap,
so called from the habit of growth. (Stevenson.) +Cap+ tan brown color,
2 to 3 inches broad, flesh color when moist, whitish when dry, convex,
then flattened, obtuse or gibbous, margin at first involute, then
flattened and slightly striate. +Stem+++ 2 to 4 inches long, 1 to 2
lines thick, very hollow (fistulose), rigid, fragile, slightly tapering
upward, rarely compressed, very smooth, except the base, even, color
brown or reddish-brown. +Gills+ are at first adnexed, soon free,
crowded, linear, narrow, plane, flesh color and then whitish. It grows
in tufts (cæspitose). The stems are sometimes white, tomentose at the
base. Stevenson says the cap is flesh color, but our specimen was of a
pale or tan brown color, less than 2 inches broad; when moist it was
much paler. Found in mixed woods in September.
+PSATHYRELLA DISSEMINATA = scattered.+
+The Widely-spread Psathyrella.+
+Cap+ a light-colored yellowish-brown, changing into an ash color; the
disc with a yellowish shade; of an oval shape, then bell-shaped, and
marked with lines, almost sulcate. The margin does not extend beyond the
gills. It is a small mushroom, measuring from 2 or 3 lines across the
cap to 1 inch. +Stem+ about 1 inch long or more, fragile, hollow,
sometimes curved and bending, smooth and light-colored. +Gills+ adnate,
rather broad, slightly narrowed at both ends, at first whitish and then
turning a brownish color. The plants vary greatly in height and size,
are sometimes cæspitose and at other times scattered. The disc in some
specimens was slightly raised in the middle, almost umbonate. It was
found about stumps and on the ground, at the end of May, in mixed woods.
It soon withers, but does not melt into fluid.
[Illustration: Psathyrella disseminata.
Photographed by C. G. Lloyd.]
+HYPHOLOMA CAPNOIDES = smoke.+
+The Gray-gilled Mushroom.+
+Cap+ is reddish-brown, 1 to 3 inches broad, fleshy, convex, then
flattened, obtuse, dry, smooth. The margin in our specimen was slightly
revolute. Flesh white. +Stem+ 2 to 3 inches long, 2 to 4 lines thick,
growing together at the base (connate), hollow, equal, often curved,
becoming silky, even, whitish at apex, and here and there striate.
+Gills+ gray color, adnate, easily separating, rather broad, waxy. The
name is given on account of the smoke-colored gills. It is not common,
and is generally found on or about stumps in the autumn.
+HYPHOLOMA PERPLEXUM = perplexing.+
+The Perplexing Hypholoma.+
+Cap+ brownish and turning to yellow, 1 to 3 inches broad and slightly
umbonate, flesh whitish. +Stem+ nearly equal, 2 to 3 inches long, 2 to 4
lines thick, firm, hollow, slightly fibrillose, whitish or yellowish
above, reddish-brown below. +Gills+ thin, close, slightly rounded at
inner end, at first pale yellow, then tinged with green, finally
purplish-brown. Taste mild. It grows in clusters. We found it both on
and around old stumps, in the woods. It is sometimes solitary. (Edible.)
+COLLYBIA DRYOPHILA = oak-loving.+
+The Oak-loving Collybia.+
+Cap+ tan color, often varying in color, ½ inch broad, thin, convex,
nearly plane, sometimes with margin elevated, irregular, smooth, flesh
white. +Stem+ equal or thickened at base, 1 to 2 inches long, 1 to 2
lines broad, cartilaginous, smooth, hollow, yellowish, or reddish like
the cap. +Gills+ narrow, crowded, adnexed or nearly free, whitish. This
little mushroom we found in a thick woods late in September, growing
among dead leaves. There were oak trees all around and a great many
pines. The weather had been rainy, and it was pale-colored and looked
water-soaked.
+TRICHOLOMA IMBRICATA = a tile.+
+The Imbricated Tricholoma.+
+Cap+ reddish-brown, 3 inches broad, thick, fleshy, broadly convex, and
then flattened, obtuse, dry, continuous at disc, but torn into scales
and fibrillose toward the margin; flesh firm, white. +Stem+ solid,
stout, sometimes short, and conico-bulbous, 1½ to 2 inches long, and
as much as 1 inch thick, sometimes longer and almost equal; white at
apex. +Gills+ slightly emarginate, almost adnate, somewhat crowded,
about 3 inches broad, wholly white when young, at length reddish. It
grows either scattered or in groups. It is found in pine woods in
September and November.
+BOLETUS ORNATIPES = ornate and foot.+
+The Ornate-stemmed Boletus.+
+Cap+ 2 to 5 inches broad, yellowish-brown, convex, dry, firm, glabrous
or minutely tomentose, flesh yellow or pale yellow. +Tubes+ adnate,
plane or concave, the mouths small or middle size, a clear yellow.
+Stem+ 2 to 4 inches long, 4 to 6 lines broad, subequal, distinctly and
beautifully reticulated, yellow without and within. In woods and open
places.
+BOLETUS BREVIPES = short and foot.+
+The Short-stemmed Boletus.+
+Cap+ dark chestnut color, 1½ to 2½ inches broad, thick, convex,
covered with a tough gluten, margin inflexed, flesh white or yellowish.
+Tubes+ short, nearly plane, adnate, or slightly depressed around the
stem, small, white and afterward dingy ochraceous. +Stem+ ½ to 1 inch
long, 3 to 5 lines thick, whitish, very short, not dotted, or rarely
with a few inconspicuous dots at the edge. This plant was found in
October, and looked as if it rested upon the ground, the stem was so
short; the cap was covered with gluten.
[Illustration: Lepiota procera.
Photographed by C. G. Lloyd.]
+LEPIOTA PROCERA = tall.+
+The Tall Lepiota.+
+Cap+ reddish-brown, 3 to 6 inches broad, fleshy; when young egg-shaped,
and then campanulate, and flattening out with a broad, obtuse umbo. The
cuticle breaks up into brownish scales, close near the centre, but
sometimes wanting at the margin. The centre or umbo is darker colored;
flesh dry, tough and white. +Stem+ ½ inch thick, and 5 to 10 inches
long; it is straight or a little bent, swollen or bulbous at base,
sometimes variegated with brownish scales; deeply sunk at apex into the
cup of the pileus; hollow or stuffed. +Ring+ distinct from the stem,
continuous with cuticle of pileus when young. It becomes free when the
cap is expanded, and is then movable and persistent. +Gills+ far remote
from the stem, with a broad plano-depressed cartilaginous collar,
crowded, ventricose, broader in front, soft, whitish, sometimes becoming
dusky at the edge. The gills vary in color. This mushroom is a handsome
species and is quite common in woods and pastures. (Edible.)
+BOLETUS EDULIS = edible.+
+The Edible Boletus.+
+Cap+ varies sometimes in color (our specimen was brown). It is often a
tawny light brown, paler at the margin, 4 to 6 inches broad, flesh white
or yellowish, tinged with red under the cuticle. +Tubes+ convex, nearly
free, long, +minute+, round, white, then yellow and greenish. +Stem+ 2
to 6 inches long, 6 to 18 lines thick, straight or bending, subequal or
bulbous, short, more or less reticulated, especially above, whitish,
pale reddish or brown. Found in August. Our specimen was small, the stem
only 1½ inch long. (Edible.)
+BOLETUS SCABER = rough.+
+The Scabrous-stemmed Boletus.+
+Cap+ varies in color, 1 to 5 inches broad, yellowish tan color, smooth,
viscid when moist, at length rivulose. Tubes free, convex, white, then
dingy color, mouths of tubes very small and round. +Stem+ 3 to 5 inches
long, 3 to 8 lines thick, solid, tapering above, roughened with fibrous
scales. We found two or three varieties of this Boletus, which seems to
grow everywhere in great abundance, in summer and autumn, in woods and
in open places. One variety was of a yellowish tan color, Var.
alutaceus, in another the flesh changed slightly to pinkish when
wounded, Var. mutabilis (Peck). (Edible.)
+BOLETUS CASTANEUS = chestnut.+
+The Chestnut Boletus.+
+Cap+ a chestnut color, brown or reddish brown, 1½ to 3 inches broad,
convex, nearly plane or depressed, firm, even, dry, minutely velvety
(tomentose), flesh white. +Tubes+ free, short, small, white, becoming
yellow. +Stem+ 1 to 2½ inches long, 3 to 5 lines thick, equal or
tapering upward, even, stuffed or hollow, colored like the cap. This is
one of the prettiest of the Boleti. The bright chestnut color of the
pileus forms a contrast with the white tubes, and makes it striking in
appearance. We found it on several occasions, as it is common in woods.
There are differences of opinion in regard to its being edible.
+BOLETUS CHRYSENTERON = golden.+
+The Golden Flesh Boletus.+
+Cap+ dark brown or reddish-brown, 1 to 3 inches broad, convex or plane,
soft, covered with woolly scales, sometimes marked with lines, flesh
yellow, red beneath the cuticle, often slowly changing to blue when
wounded, mouths large, angular, unequal. +Stem+ 1 to 3 inches long, 3 to
6 lines thick, rigid, fibrous, striate, equal, reddish or pale yellow.
This species is variable. We found one where the flesh was white,
another where the tubes changed finally to green, and one that had an
olive tint in the pileus.
+BOLETUS ILLUDENS = deceiving.+
+The Deceiving Boletus.+